9 reasons to visit Tel Aviv this Passover

2:33 AM

Passover is my favorite holiday: the weather turns warmer, flowers are blooming all around, the days are already longer and the sunsets are simply unbelievable. I could have summarized all the above by simply saying: it’s spring time!

And one of the most vivid places to enjoy the spring is my city: Tel-Aviv.

Please allow me to share with you the top 9 reasons why one should come to Tel-Aviv this spring:

Reason 1: The people

Tel-Aviv is a vibrant city, with lots of thing happening simultaneously. Many times, Tel-Aviv is also referred to as the “City that never sleeps” or as a “City without a break”, and the people of Tel-Aviv has a lot to do with that vibe.

Tel-Avivians don’t like to stay at home. They love to hangout: seat at the neighborhood’s cafe, drink beer in front of the sea, stroll in the lovely boulevards, catch some sun at the park, go to a concert at Park Hayarkon and so on.

Tel-Avivians are also very passionate about their city and like to share their thought and ideas about the city with others that are not living in the city. While walking in the streets, you can approach people in the street with questions and most of the times you’ll be answered with a smile as well as with your desired answer spiced with some extra local interpretation.

Lately many residents of Tel-Aviv even took this passion one step ahead and started to take an active part in some of the new emerging platforms of the sharing economy world, such as

In my opinion, spring time is the best time to visit Tel-Aviv. The rain period is already over and the temperatures are moderate. On one hand it’s not cold anymore and on the other hand its not the unbearable summer heat. And rest assured that in such comfortable atmosphere, everyone are happy and relaxed. You can even start going to the beach.

And this brings me to reason number 3…

Reason 3: The Beaches

Tel-Aviv beaches are absolutely amazing at this time of the year: The water temperature is about 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit), the sand strips are not too crowded and you can have a great time simply by walking barefoot along the beach, or lying down to get tanned in the sun while reading a book and drinking freshly squeezed juice.

Recommended beaches are Frishman-Gordon beach next to Tel-Aviv city center and the Cliff beach (“Hof Hazuk”) in the north part of the city.

Reason 4: The Sunsets

One can’t write about the beaches without mentioning the sunsets!During spring time, the sunsets are simply breathtaking in Tel-Aviv. Sometimes I find myself staring at the sky for only “a few seconds”, not realizing that 10 minutes have just passed…

And as someone smart already said: one picture equals thousands of words:

Reason 5: The Nightlife

Yes, yes I know. You must be wondering why did it take me so long to finally get to the nightlife?

Well, you are probably right... This could have easily been reason number one as Tel-Aviv’s nightlife are crazy and unbelievable.

With a diverse array of bars, dance clubs and nightlife haunts, you are most certain to find the thing that suits you the most, regardless of your age, gender and budget.

Recommended locations are Tel-Aviv port (“Hanamal”), the beaches near “Hayarkon” street, and in case you are looking for a place that is more populated by locals, Florentin neighborhood would be a good choice.

And Hey... don't get alarmed if things seems to move a little slowly at 21:00, 22:00 as the city is just starting to wake up. This is the “City that never sleeps”, remember? The real action begins at around 23:00, 24:00 and continues till the early morning hours.

Reason 6: The Food

Tel-Aviv is also considered the culinary capital of the middle east. With thousands of coffee shops, bars and restaurants you can’t escape facing some food offering regardless of where you go in the city. It might be one of the local Hummus and Falafel places, a small “homemade” cafe shack, an Asian place or a 5 star restaurant. The variety is incredible and the flavors are even more…

As mentioned earlier, many Tel-Avivians will be happy to give you their tips as of the best places to eat and drink in Tel-Aviv customized to your will and budget. You can get more information here.

In addition, many others open their house and kitchen and offer you to join them and enjoy a great dinner and hear first hand stories about the city. You can get more information here.

Reason 7: The Culture

Tel-Aviv is also the “Culture Capital” of Israel, offering numerous ways to absorb local and international culture. Everyone can find something suitable for themselves among the varied cultural activities in Tel-Aviv.

The Museums:

Tel-Aviv hosts many museums.This passover many of them offer free entrance thanks to Bank Hapoalim.

Recommended museums with free entrance between April 16-20, 2014 (not including Saturday):

The Museum of the Jewish people that tells the ongoing and extraordinary story of the Jewish people. Beit Hatfutsot connects Jewish people to their roots and strengthens their personal and collective Jewish identity.

Located in one of the modern buildings in Tel-Aviv’s new art complex, “The Cameri” is one of two biggest theaters in Israel, offering more than 2300 shows in a year, many of which feature English, French and Russian Surtitles.

The second big theater. Located in an astonishing reconstructed building, Habima is presenting hundreds of shows every year. Being the national theatre of Israel, Habima is promoting issues of national significance such as the Arab-Israeli relations, the tensions between the different religions and the conflict between religious and secular Jews.

The Israeli Opera:

The Israeli Opera productions feature leading opera artists from all over the world side by side with Israeli opera artists and enjoys rave critical reviews in the international opera press for its performances.

The Dance:Tel-Aviv is also the home for many dance groups, displaying different and unique dance concepts and trends. Some dance groups are well known world wide. Two outstanding groups with worldwide reputation are: Ohad Naharin’s Batsheva group and the energetic Mayumana group.

The Art Galleries:

During the last few years, Tel Aviv’s art gallery scene is flourishing and many art galleries are rising, but above all, the three galleries which are well positioned as leading galleries are Dvir, Noga and Sommer.

And for those of you that prefer less conventional culture, there are also many alternatives museums, theaters, galleries and dance groups in Tel-Aviv. These initiatives enables a unique and different perspective of the city.

Reason 8: The Bicycle Routes

Since 2010 Tel-Aviv made a huge step in making the city a bike friendly one. More than 70 Kilometers of bicycle lanes and routes were paved and the city’s municipality even launched the Tel-O-Fun bicycle initiative. This bicycle rent service enables tourists and local residents to rent bikes from one of more than a hundred self service rental stands that are spread all over the city. Combine this with the ultimate weather conditions and ask yourself this: why should I drive a car if I can get to any location I desire in the city quickly, easily (and it's even healthy…)

You may also get to explore the city while riding these bicycles with the help of some awesome local people that are offering this service through different sharing platforms, like LocalYoo.

Reason 9: The WiFi Connection

The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality is one of the first in the world to launch FREE WiFi infrastructure all over the city. This digital revolution is a part of the city's comprehensive strategic plan to position Tel Aviv as the Start-up City - a hub of innovation and creativity.

After investing more than US$ 1.6 million dollars, FREE WiFi is now available in 80 different locations city-wide. Locations include beaches, entertainment centers and tourist attractions. You can see the full location list here.

Network name is free_tlv.

And... let me assure you that these are just my favorite 9 top reasons! There are plenty of additional reasons to visit Tel-Aviv and I'm sure that after visiting the city, each and every one of you will be able to come up with more and more reasons :)

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